Protector for the tail-shafts and bearings of ships&#39; propellers.



. CLARKE. PROTECTOR FOR THE TAIL SHAFTS AND BEARINGS 0F SHIPS PROPELLERS.

APPLICATION 'HLED JULY 31.1918.

Patented Feb. 18, 191%.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

E. W. CLARKE.- PROTECTOR FOR THE TAIL SHAFTS AND BEARINGS OF SHIPS PBO-PELLERS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 31,1918.

1,294,620. Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

.3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

E. W. CLARKE. PROTECTOR FOR THE TAIL SHAFTS AND BEARINGS OF SHIPS PROPELLERSe APPLICATION FILED JULY 31.1918.

1,294,620. Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

To all whom it may concern.

EDWARD "WILLIAM CLARKE, F KINGSTONUPON-HULL, ENGLAND.

PROTECTQR FOR THE TAIL-SHAFTS AND BEARINGS OF SHIP SIEROPELLERS.

Application filed July 31, 1918. Serial Ito. 247,584.

Be. it known that I, EDWARD WILLIAM CLARKE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing in the city and county of Kings ton-upon-Hull, England, have invented certain' new and useful Improvements in Protectors for the lail shafts and Bearings of Ships Propellers, of which the following 1s a specification v r. Thls lnventlon hasreference'to what are devices attached to or. fitted up to the stern shaftworks, for the purpose of preventing water from entering the stern tube and causing pitting, or otherwise detrimentally affectlng the shaft and the bearings in such stern tube.-

Thepresent invention has for its object an improved shaft and bearing protector which shall be simple of construction, easy to fix and remove, should'its removal be necessary through any cause, and extremely effective in preventing water from entering the stern tube.

understood and carried into effect, I have appended hereunto three sheets of explana tory drawings of which Fi ure 1 represents a side view of a propeller s aft and bearing protector in accordance with my invention and constructed according to one mode, Fig. 2 is a transverse view'of the same, partly in section shown ona portion of a propeller shaft, and Fig. 3 is a view showing the device fitted in position between the stern of a ship and the propeller, the device being shown partly in section. Fig. 3 is drawn to a smaller scale than'Figs. 1 and 2.

In constructing a device in accordance with my invention, and for the purposes mentioned, I employ a metal casing A of preferably circular shape which is built up according to one mode of four semi-circular pieces, two of which pieces form one half of the casing or box, as I will call it, and the other two pieces the other half ofthe box whereby the box is divided into. two

' parts both annularly and transversely. In

the inner face of each of the 'four pieces which form the complete box is a semi-annular groove of-a suitable width and depth whereby when the four pieces are placed together such pieces form a box the interior of which is in the form of an annular passage a, the said box having a central hole Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. is, rare.

a through which the propeller shaft passes a passed through holes a in lugs a formed on. or secured to adjoining endsofthe'said p1eces, on each of which bolts a nut a,

- or morethan one, is-f'turned to secure such a two pieces together, the corresponding two known 'aspropeller shaft protectors, that 18,..

pieces which form the Tothercircular half of the box being show'nsecuredtogether in a I tubes of ships and in which the propeller' piece and turned into correspondingly situated tapped holes in the other circular half piece, as shown more clearly at Fig. 2 of the drawings.

In the annular passage or groove a in the box I place two metalrings B, B each of which is composed accordingto one mode,

of two semi-circular half pieces, each'of such rings being provided with an annular flange Inorder that my invention may be readily b, the inner face of each ring being according to a preferred mode, provided with an annular recess filled with white metal or the like 1 b studs a" being formed on or so fitted in "the side walls of the annular passage in the box A as to project inwardly from suchwalls and enter holes Win the rings B, B to prevent such rings from rbtating in. the box A, and on each of such studs is placed a helical spring 6 such springs being situated between the inside faces of the side walls of thebox A and the outsidefaccs of the rings B, B for the purpose of keeping the said f rings pressed into contact with the center ring hereinafter referred t0.

The two half pieces of the rings B, B are shown secured together by means of bolts passed through holes 6 inlugs 15 formed on orsecured to the periphery of adjoining ends of such half pieces.

Fitted between the two rings B, B is a third metal ring C, hereinbefore referred to as the center ring, such ring being also preferably built up of two semi-circular half pieces, both sides of such ring being by preference provided with an annular recess filled with white metal or the like 0, the wall of the hole through this intermediate or center ring having a suitably deep annular groove in it in which is fitted a ring or packing C preferably of india-rubber or the like, the

will rotate with it and also by so gripping it will effectively prevent water from passing between such ring itself and the shaft and entering the stern tube of the ship.

- The wall of the hole through the box A is provided with an annular opening a connected wlth the annular passage (1, through which opening the intermediate or center ring C projects into such annular passage and rotates between the two rings 13, B therein as 11; rotates with the propeller shaft,

the said two rings B, B being pressed into contact with the sides of the said intermediate or center ring C by the springs 63,

such ring C being a sufliciently tight working fit between the rings B, and B to prevent water which enters the box A through the center hole therethrough, passing between the rings B and B and the said intermediate oreenter ring C and thus into the sternetube of the ship or vessel by way of the bush in such stern-tube.

A'ring or rings or bedding of india-rub- 1 her or other suitable water-proof composition or material b may be and is by prefer-- ence fitted in the annular passage a in the box A for the flanges b of the rings B and B to bed on to further assist in preventing water from passing through the box and thence into the stern-tube of the ship or vesseL The'box when in position on the propeller shaft D fits up to the outer end of the bush E in the stern tube F of the ship or vessel as shown at Fig. 3 of the drawings, that side I of the box which is in contact with the stern lli tube bush E having holes in it through which project bolts onscrews G which are turned into correspondingly situated tapped holes in the outer end of the flange E of lill the stern-tube bush E, such bolts or screws securing the box firmly to the stern-tube bush of the ship or vessel.

Suitable waterproof packing may be a'r.-

" ranged between that face of the box which tilt ', tions, each conslsting of two semi-circularly shaped pieces and the rings B, B and C as fits up to the stern-tube bush E and the said bush for the purpose of preventing water from penetrating between the. said box and the stern tube bush and by that means entering the stern-tube.

Although I have described the box A as being built up of two circular half porbeing each composed of two semi-circularly shaped half pieces, I would have. it undere stood that l do not limit myself to that jecting therefrom; of a casing secure 0 method of constructing them as I may for example, construct the box of two pieces only each piece being of circular shape whereby when the twopieces are placed together the box is divided annular-1y only and not both annularly and transversely, and I may make the rings 13, B and 0 each in one piece, but I prefer to make the several parts mentioned in the; manner as first described, and illustrated in the drawings as by that means they can be placed on the propeller shaftand secured to the sterirtube bush without the propeller having to be removed, whereas if the b'ozi were not divided transversely and the rings B, B and C were not in half pieces they would have to be forced on the shaft from the outer nd of such shaft which would not only render the device more diiiicult'to liX but would necessitate the propeller having to be removed from the shaft to enable the device to be fitted.

I claim l. The combination, with a stationary tubular member, and a rotary shaft projecting therefrom; of a casing secured to the tubular member around theshaft and pro vided with an annular recess, a central plate secured on the shaft and projecting into the said recess, laterally s'lidable rings arranged in the recess one on each side of the central plate, means for preventing the slidable rings from revolving in the recess, and springs which press the slidable rings toward the central plate.

2. The. combination, with a stationary tubular member, and a rotary shaft projecting therefrom; of a casing secured to the tubular member around the shaft and provided with an annular recess, a central plate secured on the shaft and projecting into the 1 5 said recess, laterally slidable rings arranged in the recess one on each side of the central plate, bearing pieces of anti-friction material secured to the adjacent faces of the said rings and plate, means for preventing the slidable rings from revolving in the recess, and springs which press the slidable rings toward the central plate.

3; The. combination, with a stationary tubular member, and ,a rotary prelim the tubular member around 'lfeihait and formedin sectionsand provided with an annular recess, a central plate also;;formed :in sections and secured on the shaft-andgpro mp jecting into the said recess, laterally slidable rings arranged in the recess one on each 7 7 side of the central plate, means for preventing the slidable rings from revolving in the recess, and springs which press the slidable may rings toward the central plate.

4. The combination, with a stationary tubular member, and a rotary shaft proj ecting therefrom; of a casing secured to the tubular member, around the shaft and pro-l 13(1! naeaeao vided with an annular recess, a central plate secured on the shaft and projecting into the said recess, laterally slidable rings arranged in the recess one on each sideof the central plate, said slidable rings being provided with tubular guide flanges which engage with the casing, bedding rings arranged in the casing between it and the outer ends of the said guide flanges, means for pressing the slidable rings toward the central plate, and means for preventing the slidable rings from revolving in the recess.

5. The combination, with a stationary tubular member, and a rotary shaft projecting therefrom; of acasing secured to I the tubular member around the shaft and provided with an annular recess, a central plate secured on the shaft and projecting into the said recess, laterally slidable rings 2 arranged in the recess one on each side of thecentral plate, said slidable rings being provided with tubular guide flanges which engage with the casing, studs projecting from the casing into holes in the slidable rings and preventing them from revolving in the recess, and springs encircling the said studs and operating to press th slidable rings toward the central plate.

6. In a device for preventing water from having access to the stern tube and the bear- 'ings of the shaft of a ships propeller, a box or casing preferably composed of two or more parts secured together by any suitable means to encirclethe propeller shaft, said box or casing being secured to the stern tube bush, the hole through such box or casing being of a larger diameter than that of the propeller shaft, an internal annular recess in each side wall of the box or casing, two flat rings each preferably composed 40 of a plurality of pieces, the one ring. being situated in the annular recess in one side of the box or casingand the other situated in the recess in the other side thereof,

a third or center flat ring situated between the before mentioned two rings, said center ring being provided with means preferably of an elastic or flexible nature whereby it will fit-the propeller shaft so tightly that i it is not only caused to rotate therewith but will'prevent water from passing between the ring itself and the shaft, and springs situatedbetween the sides of the box or-casing and the rings in the annular recesses in the sides of the said box or casing for keeping such rings pressed, into contact with the two sides of the rotatable center ring.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses;

EDWARD WILLIAM CLARKE.

Witnesses:

LOUIS EDGAR KIPPAX, GYRIL ERIC LITTLE. 

